Here’s what to do if you find a lost child
It is estimated that at any tourist attraction on any given day roughly 11 children go ‘short term missing’ and are reported to staff - that’s over 2 million incidents a year! Over 89% of parents are very concerned about becoming separated from their child on a busy day out. So here are some basic tips on what to do if you find yourself in a lost child situation.
Don’t hesitate - do something.
If you spot a suspected lost child, take action. Lots of adults hesitate, unsure if the child is really lost or not and the child wanders off again. In most situations a child that is aware that it is lost will be looking around a lot, walking quickly, have their hands up towards their mouths ( a comfort measure ) or back tracking on itself. A younger child may not be aware that it is lost at all, and could easily run off again. There is never any harm in approaching a child in the correct way to see if it is lost or not.
2. Approach confidently and get on their level.
It is important to get on a child’s level as you will be looking to build trust with the child as quickly as possible. Kids are taught from a very early age not to talk to strangers and you are to them, a stranger. Say hello and Introduce yourself, and if you have your child with you introduce them as well. Try not to kneel directly in front of them and this can be quite intimating for an already worried child, instead kneel next to them at an angle. Avoid attempting to hold the child by the hand or wrist to prevent it from running away again or asking them to come with you.
Establish communication - and reassure.
Whether the child is verbal or not, try to reassure them that everything is okay if they have become lost or its obvious to you that they are. Some children will think they are in trouble for getting lost and this can lead to them becoming very upset and being unable to give you any information that could help re-unite them with their responsible adult / parent. Smile, tell them they are in no trouble and be positive as much as possible.
Ask for their name and how old they are ( most verbal children will be able to tell you this ). It can be very helpful to have a conversation with them where you found them for 2 reasons; it builds trust with them and it keeps them in one place long enough so that a frantically searching parent has a chance of finding them.
Normally once a child is able to walk, they are likely to be able to understand you to a certain point - they might not understand ‘Are you lost’ or ‘what’s your name’. So instead pose one or two word questions such as ‘Mumma where?' or ‘Dadda?’ they might be able to point, or will look around but not be able to spot them. At this point they might try to move off to find their parent. Do not restrain them, instead follow closely and try to interrupt by kneeling down in front of them and playing a simple game, such as peek a boo as a distraction.
Do not offer a lost child anything to eat, even sweets, as they may have allergies or intolerances. But do offer them water and somewhere to sit with you. Try not to move a child too far away from where you found them. More often than not it’s not far from where they became lost in the first place.
Look for signs of injury, or why a child became lost in the first place. This may lead to clues as to where they have come from.
Look for information.
Savvy parents will attach their information to their kids on a day out, look for ID bands, Am I Lost stickers and Safetee Labels ( Pictured ). These can make a huge difference to reuniting parent and child quickly. Most of these will have a phone number to call. Understandably a parent may not pick up to an unknown number while in the heat of looking for their little one, or they could be on the phone to someone else who is looking for them - so a text message to follow up starting with ‘I have found your child’ so that even if they skim the notification, they are made aware.
Having your information somewhere on your child can cut the time it takes to reunite with them. Safetee Iron On QR codes are a practical, affordable and simple solution, you can buy them here.
No Information available?
If there is no information available the best thing you can do is to not move away from where you found them. Stay close to where you are. If the child can, ask them what their parent looks like and if they know their name ( or their own last name ). Ask another adult to find a member of staff if possible, or to look for the parent. If a member of staff is available and wants to take them to a different location to put out an announcement stay with the child if you can. You’ve built trust with that child, and they are looking to you for comfort. Putting them in another uncomfortable situation with another stranger so soon can really distress them and cause alarm. if a PA announcement is made, ask them to not use the child first name ( We’ll explain in the next part )
Reuniting with the parent
This is (hopefully) the happy part for all involved. You’ve found the parent or they’ve found you. But there are still some little things to note here, a sad fact of life is lost child situations are an opportunity for predatory behaviours. You’ll get a feeling straight away on the situation when the parent approaches. Firstly and most obviously is the child happy to see their parent ? Is there a physical connection (hug) between them ? Make sure that the parent uses the child’s first name without being prompted ( remember the PA announcement and not using the child’s first name? ). If all is well - Great, your job here is done! Don’t be alarmed if a parent has seemed rude or short with you, It’s a very embarrassing and upsetting situation for them, and they are focused on their child, not you.
But what if the child is hesitant? Doesn’t seen to recognise the parent or is afraid of them? What if the parent can’t give you the child’s first name?
There are two situations here. Either the person claiming to be their parent or responsible adult, is neither. Or there may be some issues around the relationship - a possible indicator of child neglect or abuse. Never give a child back to someone you don’t feel 100% comfortable with. If you feel confident enough, ask for some form of ID from the ‘parent’, or ask the child directly if they know them. If it’s clear that they are in no way related or responsible for that child safeguard the child by taking them away from the stranger and dial 999 as this could be a child trafficking attempt.
If you suspect serious abuse dial 999, or if you’re less sure call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Sources - Stats on missing child incidents: 2020 Full attractions UK Excel https://www.visitbritain.org/annual-survey-visits-visitor-attractions-latest-results & Survey of attraction owners conducted by SAFETEEQR LTD. Survey of Parents concerned with loosing their child conducted by Safetee Via Influencer Instagram surveys.
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